Open end wrench with slidable jaw face



Oct. 14, 1958 s. YAVNER OPEN END WRENCH WITH SLIDABLE JAW FACE FiledOct. 24, 1956 fil/enror Sylvan Yavner FIG.3

Unite States Patent OPEN END WRENCH WITH SLIDABLE JAW FACE SylvanYavner, Norfolk, Va., assignor to Syco Manufacturing Company,.1nc., acorporation of Virginia Application October 24, 1956, Serial No. 618,113

4 Claims. (Cl. 81-179) This invention relates generally to open endWrenches and more particularly to improvements in wrenches of this typeas are, for example, disclosed in my prior Patents 2,592,781, April 15,1952, and 2,646,711, July 28, 1953.

Open end wrenches are particularly useful in tightening or looseningnuts, bolts, couplings and the like where such elements are impossibleto manipulate by a box end wrench or socket wrenches (such as a couplingin a conduit) or in any case where the nut or the like is sufficientlyaccessible to permit an open end type wrench to be used. Generallyspeaking, an open end Wrench is easier to use than a box end wrenchunless the position of the nut or the like is such as to permit turningthe wrench a full 360, a condition not often encountered in practice.Likewise, an open end wrench is usually preferable to a ratchet handledrive and socket assembly where space permits the open end wrench to beengaged upon the nut or the like even though the wrench cannot be swungthrough a complete 360, a condition often encountered in practice.

However, even though open end wrenches are desirable, as aboveexemplified, their cost of manufacture must necessarily be maintained ata sufiiciently low level as to render them economically feasible. Toaccomplish this goal, open end wrenches must require only a minimumamount of machining and special preparation in their component partsabove and beyond that required to manufacture an open end wrench ofconventional design.

It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a novelcombination of component parts which in themselves require only thesimplest machining operation for their construction and in which thesecomponent parts may be used in combination with an open end wrench ofentirely conventional design with only the simplest of modificationsthereto.

More specifically, an object of this invention resides in the provisionof a wrench as set forth in the preceding object wherein theconventional open end wrench need undergo only two simple drillingoperations to prepare the same for conversion to an open end slidablejaw face wrench as embodied in this invention.

Another object of this invention resides in a wrench of the characterabove described wherein the jaw face and retaining pin for the same areso constructed as to be fabricated from round stock so as to requireonly simple drilling operation on a conventional open end wrench toready the same for their reception in combination therewith.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a wrench constructed in accordance with thisinvention with a portion thereof being broken away to show details ofinternal construction and illustrating the manner in which the wrenchoperatively engages an associated nut;

. Fig. 2 is a view similar .to Fig. 1 but showing the 2,855,814 PatentedOct. 14, 1958 position of parts as the wrench is swung in a direction toeffect the ratcheting action;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the wrench head assembly with the jawface and component parts being removed and illustrating the recess inthe head for the reception of such jaw face;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the planeof section line 44 in Fig. 2 illustrating the relationship between thejaw face and the adjacent wrench bill;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the plane of section line 5-5 inFig. 2 showing further details of the jaw face;

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the jaw face per se; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the jaw face.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1-3 inclusive, reference numeral 10designates the wrench assembly in its entirety and which will be seen toinclude an elongate handle portion 11 which may be provided at one endwith a conventional box and mechanism 12 and which is provided at itsopposite end with the ratchet assembly. The ratchet assembly includesthe head portion 13 and projecting from one side thereof a jaw member 14and from the other side generally parallel to the jaw 14 the bill 15.

The jaw 14 is provided with a fiat inner face 16 which is adapted toengage against one side of an associated nut, bolt or the like such asthat indicated by the reference character 17 in Fig. l.

The head 13 is provided with a recess 18 of circular cross section andwhich extends to a depth within the head substantially equivalent tothat shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it being noted that this recess is angledwith re spect to the inner face 16 of the jaw 14 such that a projectionof the axis of the recess is convergent with a plane containing theinner face 16 beyond the free end of the jaw 14, the purpose of whichwill be presently apparent. As is shown most clearly in Fig. 3, therecess 18 opens at the juncture between the head 13 and the bill 15 andthe inner face 19 of the bill 15 is provided with a trough 20 ofsemi-circular cross section which merges smoothly with the recess 18 andin actual practice the trough and recess are formed during a singlemachining process as will be presently described.

The jaw face indicated generally by the reference character 21 isslidably received within the recess 18 and is movable therein in adirection of the axis of such recess. The jaw face as is shown mostclearly in Figs. 6 and 7 incorporates a cylindrical base portion 22which is snugly received within the recess 18 and which cooperatestherewith to positively guide the jaw face. The jaw face is providedwith an intermediate portion which incorporates a flat surface 23 whichtapers toward the outer free end of the jaw and which is machined so asto extend parallel to the aforementioned inner face 16 of the jaw 14 andit is this flat surface of the jaw piece which is cooperable with theinner face 16 of the jaw 14 to engage an opposite side of the nut orbolt 17 so that the nut or bolt is properly engaged whereby when thewrench as shown in Fig. l is rotated with its handle 11 swinging to theleft in that figure, the member 17 will be turned. The flat face 23 ofthe jaw face merges smoothly with the cam nose surface 24, it beingpreferred that the cam nose surface be of convex configuration as inshown.

The opposite side of the jaw piece is provided with a flat surface 25which is diametrically opposed to the aforementioned nut engaging fiatsurface 23 and which extends an appreciable distance within theintermediate portion of the jaw and of a length sufficient toaccommodate for the movement of the jaw piece between its fullyretracted and fully projected positions as explained hereinafter and, ina preferred form, the surface 25 terminates not only short of the baseend of the jaw piece so as to provide the limiting abutment shoulder 26.but also short of the. outer or free end of the jaw piece to provide thesemi-circular bearing shoulder 27';

As is shown most clearly in Figs. 1 and 2, the recess 1-8'receives asuitable spring 28 which normally biases the jaw piece to its fullyprojected position as is shown in' Fig. 1, but permits the same to befully retracted as is shown in Fig. 2. To limit the fully projectedposition of the jaw piece, the head end of the jaw is provided with abore 29 extending generally perpendicular to the recess 18 andreceivingtherein a suitable pin. 30 whose inner end portion 31 is sopositioned as to terminate closely adjacentthe flat surface 25 of thejaw piece and within the path of movement of the abutment shoulder 26 soas-to engage thereagainst and limit the axial outward movement of' thejaw piece.

In conjunction with the extent or depth to which the surface 25' ismachined, it will be appreciated from a study of Fig. 4 that the depthto which this surface is cut is approximately equal to the average depthof the trough 20 so that at any position of the jaw piece, a substantiallongitudinal extent of the jaw piece bears against and is guided by theopposite side wall portions of the trough 20. This feature isillustrated most clearly in Fig. 4-wherein it will be noted that thoselongitudinally extending side wall portions 32 and 33 of the jaw piecebear against opposite side wall portions of the trough 20 and thus forma substantial longitudinal extent of the jaw piece which is directlybearing against and is guided ty both the recess 18 and the trough 20regardless of the position of the jaw piece.

Fig. illustrates that the area of surface engagement between the jawpiece and the wall portion of the head 13 defining the recess 18 belowthe flat surface 23 is the majorportion of a circle in cross sectionwhereas'the jaw piece in the cylindrical base portion 22 completelycircumferentially engages within the recess 18, thus attaining a maximumof bearing surface between the jaw piece and the recess 18 while at thesame time permitting the pin 30 to cooperate therewith to limit and fixthe outermost position of the jaw piece.

As will be appreciated from the above, the provision of" a'recess ofcircular cross section and a semi-circular trough'in conjunction with ajaw piece of generally cylindrical configuration permits a maximumamount of bearing surface to be attained between the jaw piece and thewrench head assembly so that the jaw piece is at all times positivelyguided and backed up by the wrench head assembly while at the same timepermitting the component parts to be economically manufactured andrequiring a' minimum of expensive machining operations.

In thisrespect, it is to be noted that the wrench assembly 10, otherthan the provision of the recess 18, trough20 and bore 29, is ofentirely conventional construction. For example, a ratchet type of openend wrenchof a inch size can, in accordance with this invention, beeasily constructed from a conventional open end wrench of larger size,say 5 inch, by merely performing a single drilling operation whichsimultaneously produces the trough and the recess 18 in a singleoperation and then performing a second drilling operation to provide thebore 29. This permits the ratchet jaw to be fabricated from round stockand also the retaining pin 30 can be fabricated from rod or round stock.Thus, the total expenditure for constructing an open end ratchet wrenchin accordance with this invention is very little and involves not agreat deal more than is required for manufacturing a conventional typeof open end Wrench and indeed the construction of an open end ratchetwrench in accordance with this invention involves only a minimum morethan is required to produce a conventional open end wrench.

Due to the fact that the recess 18 is angled with respect to the innerjaw surface 16, it will be obvious that when the jaw piece is moved fromits fully projected position toward its retracted position, the flatface 23 thereon becomes increasingly spaced away from the said surface16. Consequently, when the wrench is moved in the ratcheting directionas is illustrated in Fig. 2, only a very slight pressure of the corner34 of the nut engaging upon the cam nose 24 will be required to startthe ratchet jaw toward its retracted position and permit the assembly toratchet. Also, after the ratcheting action is stopped and the wrench isswung again in a tightening or loosening direction, such as the case maybe, the fact that the surface 23 is closest to the surface 16 in thefully projected position of the ratchet jaw will ensure properengagement of the wrench with the nut or headed member with which it isengaged to exert more or less a wedging action thereon to achieve goodbearing contact.

Of course, it is to be appreciated that when the headed member 17 isturned by the ratchet Wrench, the resistance to rotation of the member17 will tend to press the jaw piece 21 firmly against the associatedbill and head and, of course, the relatively large area of bearingcontact established between these component parts as mentioned above isinstrumental in achieving a very strong and rugged construction.

It is to be further appreciated, of course, that the particular type ofratchet construction disclosed herein and forming this invention may beassociated either with an open end wrench having a fixed jaw opening i.e. for use with one particular size of nut or the like, or theprinciples of this invention may be embodied in an adjustable open endwrench without departing from the spirit of this invention.

It is to be understood that the element or portion 27 of the sliding jawmay be omitted if desired since suflicient surface area of the slidingjaw without the addition of this portion will engage against the troughto properly stabilize and hold the sliding jaw in place although, ofcourse, the projection does offer an additional bearing surface whenused.

I claim:

1. An open end wrench comprising a handle having a head at one end, ajaw projecting outwardly from said head at one side thereof and having aflat inner face for engagement with a side of an associated nut, a billprojecting outwardly from the other side of said head extendinggenerally parallel to said jaw and having a face opposed to said innerface of said jaw, said head having a recess therein of circular crosssection extending angularly with respect to said inner face of the jawsuch that a projection of the axis of said recess is convergent with aplane containing said inner face of the jaw beyond the free end of thesame, said face of the bill having a semi-circular trough thereinmerging smoothly with said recess, a slidable jaw piece received withinsaid trough and said recess, said jaw piece having a cylindrical baseportion contained within said recess, an intermediate portion having aflat surface extending parallel to said inner face of the firstmentioned jaw and terminating in a cam nose, said jaw piece having afurther flat face extending from said base portion, defining an abutmentshoulder thereat, and into said intermediate portion, said further flatface being of a length greater than the axial movement of said jaw piecebetween its fully retracted and its fully projected position andpositioned at that side of said jaw piece opposite the first flatsurface thereof, a spring interposed within said recess normally biasingsaid jaw piece to its fully projected position, a pin carried by saidhead and disposed in the path of movement of said abutment shoulder tofix the fully projected position of said jaw piece, and the oppositeside portion of said jaw piece extending between the flat surfacesthereof being of segmental profile and bearing at least partially uponsurface portions of said bill defining said trough.

2. The open end wrench as defined in and by claim 1 wherein said furtherflat face on said jaw piece terminates short of said cam nose end of thejaw piece leaving a bearing shoulder of semi-circular cross section atsaid free end of the jaw piece which engages throughout its externalsurface within the bottom of said trough in said bill. I

3. A wrench of the character described comprising an elongate handlehaving a head at one end, first and second jaw elements projectingoutwardly from said head at opposite sides thereof and each having aflat inner face, said inner faces being disposed in parallelrelationship and spaced apart a distance corresponding to a standardwrench size, said head having a recess therein of circular cross sectionadjacent one of said jaws and presenting an opening between said jaws,the longitudinal 'axis of said recess extending in outwardly convergentrelation to a plane containing the inner face of the other jaw such thata continuation of such axis intersects such plane at a point lyingbeyond said other jaw, said recess being inset with respect to the innerface of said one jaw and the inner face of said one jaw having asemi-circular trough therein merging smoothly with and forming acontinuation of the wall surface defining said recess, a slidable jawpiece received within said trough and recess, said jaw piece havingaflat surface parallel to the inner faces of said jaws and disposed inopposed relation to the inner face of said other jaw, means carried bysaid head and engaging said jaw piece for maintaining said flat surfacein opposed relation to the inner face of said other jaw, means withinsaid recess normally urging said jaw piece to an outwardly projectingposition and permitting the same to be urged inwardly into the recess toa withdrawn position, the outer end of said jaw piece terminating in arounded cam nose merging smoothly with said flat surface, and theangular disposition of the axis of said recess with respect to the planecontaining the inner surface of said other jaw being such that when saidjaw piece is urged to its outwardly projecting position, the

flat surface thereof will be offset from the inner face of said one jawtoward said other jaw so as to be spaced from the inner surface of saidother jaw by an amount corresponding to a standard wrench size smallerthan the standard size represented between said jaws.

4. An open end wrench comprising a handle having a head at one end, ajaw projecting outwardly from said head at one side thereof and having aflat inner face for engagement with a side of an associated nut, a billprojecting outwardly from the other side of said head extendinggenerally parallel to said jaw and having a face opposed to said innerface of said jaw, said head having a recess therein of circular crosssection extending angularly with respect to said inner face of the jawsuch that a projection of the axis of said recess is convergent with aplane containing said inner face of the jaw beyond the free end of thesame, a slidable jaw piece received within said recess, said jaw piecehaving a cylindrical base portion contained within said recess, anintermediate portion having a flat surface extending parallel to saidinner face of the first mentioned jaw and terminating in a cam nose,said jaw piece having a further fiat face extending from said baseportion, defining an abutment shoulder thereat, and into saidintermediate portion, said further flat face being of a length greaterthan the axial movement of said jaw piece between its fully retractedand its fully projected position and positioned at that side of said jawpiece opposite the first flat surface thereof, a spring interposedwithin said recess normally biasing said jaw piece to its fullyprojected position, a pin carried by said head and disposed in the pathof movement of said abutment shoulder to fix the fully projectedposition of said jaw piece, and the opposite side portion of said jawpiece extending between the flat surfaces thereof being of segmentalprofile and bearing at least partially upon surface portions of saidbill defining said recess.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS879,155 Ellis Feb. 18,1908 1,308,440 Morrison July 1, 1919 1,898,388Parker Feb. 21, 1933 2,565,154 Wedvik Aug. 21, 1951 2,592,781 YavnerApr. 15, 1952 2,697,372 Lane Dec. 21, 1954 2,712,259 Cowell July 5, 1955FOREIGN PATENTS 268,643 Germany Dec. 23, 1913

